Vacation Break
by Quacked Lurker
Summary: Escaping the 'take-charge' confines of cutthroat leadership can take a bit of work to implement. Done properly, the time off is very refreshing and relaxing. Or the results show where delegation is better, and when micromanaging should be reinstated.


**Disclaimer**: _THis is where I admit I, Quacked Lurker, am not aligned with HAsbro, Takara, or in anyway, shape or form owner of the Transformers. This is simply a writing exercise - no characters were harmed in the writing of this fic._

"Intruder! Intruder!"

Red Alert's alarmed squawk roared through the Ark, waking mechs right and left.

Rolling to his peds, Optimus Prime's fist hit the intercom button. "Where's the intruder, Red?" He asked, still purging the last remnants of refreshing recharge from his processors.

"In the Rec room!" Red responded, not at all calmed by the knowledge he'd woken everyone.

"I'm on my way," Optimus left his quarters, wondering why anyone unauthorized would head straight for the entertainment center. And how they'd gotten that far in without becoming lost or spotted earlier.

Jazz and Cliffjumper caught up to Prime before he could foolishly confront the single infiltrator on his own.

A wordless nod of exchange with his competent back-up, and Optimus strolled inside.

He stopped in the middle of the doorway.

Cliffjumper, following hard on heels, ran into the suddenly-frozen frame of Prime, bounced back into the empty hallway.

Jazz, seeing the futility of shoving Optimus aside, unable to check his charge, angled for the slim gap between the lead mech and the framework. He slipped through; sight no longer encumbered by Prime's bulk, locked-up mentally. "What?"

Calmly sipping from a cube of unrefined high-grade, Megatron smiled. "If I'd known I'd get this reception, I would have visited your base a long time ago."

~ Area break ~ Scene Switch ~ Time Lapse ~

"Where is Lord Megatron?" Starscream barged inside Soundwave's quarters, paced restlessly, wings trailing behind him, nearly knocking the unrestrained Cassettes off their feet.

"Private mission." Soundwave relayed. "Orders: Starscream in charge until return."

"Why our glorious leader put - me?" The red seeker spun, met Soundwave's optics. "He said I'm in charge?"

Rather than answering the question auditable, the cassette host nodded.

"Well, in that case, I have a few commands to issue. Thank you for your time, Soundwave." The Air commander left much more polity than he'd entered.

"Boss?" Frenzy tugged on grey armored platting, "you sure it was a good idea to let him know?"

"Negative. Not my choice."

~ Area break ~ Scene Switch ~ Time Lapse ~

"Brother, there are some ground-rules you _will_ obey."

"Ground rules?" Megatron echoed. "Why am I not surprised."

Optimus ignored the interruption, raised a finger. "First off, no harming of humans."

"Never do so intentionally – the small squishes just happen to be in the way."

"Second of all," Optimus raised his voice, just a tad. "No starting fights – I do not want to have to separate you from whoever chooses to argue with you."

A snort of disbelief. "A fight? Who'd be stupid enough to take me on?"

Deciding not to name the handful of mechs he immediately thought of, Optimus moved on "Third – Ratchet wants to update his medical records."

The Decepticon warlord backed up. "No one said anything about a check-up!" He protested. "Hook declared me as clean as a whistle." He continued backing up, looking for an avenue of escape. Bumped into a red-and-white medically-trained Autobot.

Ratchet smiled. "I don't have access to Hook's records – so I need my own copies of the tests."

~ Area break ~ Scene Switch ~ Time Lapse ~

Starscream practically waltzed into the Rec-Room. "Your attention please." He spoke up, his screeching voice not nearly as crackly as normal. "It has come to my attention that during Megatron's absence, someone needs to step up and take charge."

Skywarp traded a glance with Swindle. The Air-Commander was preening with delight. This did not bode well for them.

"Until Megatron returns, I am Supreme Commander of the Decepticons – and my word is law. First rule of business: everyone's energion ration includes a cube of High-grade."

Scavanger and Spectro listened closer. This was not an order they were not expecting to hear. They were hungry for more.

"Second rule of business: all able-bodied Cybertrons will report to the medically-inclined members. If we are going to be successful on energon raids, we need to be at full operational capacity.

Bliztwing twitched. Fix the minor dings that marked his successful fights against Insectocns? He'd have to take Kickback and Bombshell on again, just to retain his authority over them.

"Third rule of business – if anyone has any complaints about how I rule, take it up with my Trinemates.

Thundercracker's growled, weapons beginning to buzz with power. He looked ready to take on the entire base of Cons.

~ Area break ~ Scene Switch ~ Time Lapse ~

"I'm so excited!" Carly gushed enthusiastically. "Ratchet's going to allow me to help him in the medbay."

"Congratulations, Carly." Spike clasped her hand as they walked to the rec-room. "Dad will love having competent help."

"I said Ratchet, not Sparkplug." Carly rolled her eyes. They turned the corner, caught a glimpse of a very familiar looking steel-grey Cybertronian.

"Megatron?" She squeeked out, eyes wide.

The Lord Protectorage nodded his head. "I see my reputation perceeds me." His smile put cold shivers down the human's back.

"What are you doing here?" Spike asked, glancing around, trying to find something with witch to defend himself. "This is Autobot territory."

"I have defected."

Two long blank stares met his gaze. "Defected?" Spike responded numbly.

"Temporarily, anyway." Megatron scratched his chin. "I plan on checking up on my troops in a year's time, see how they cope without my guidance."

~ Area break ~ Scene Switch ~ Time Lapse ~

"I like Starscream," Laserbeak guzzled down Cybertronian moonshine.  
Buzzsaw dangled upside down from the lip of an open air-vent. "Yeah – Starscream's nice."

Down on the ground, Frenzy had crossed his arms. "You only say that cause he feeds you!"

Soundwave gently pulled Rumble away from the all-important weight-bearing wall before the angry cassette could activate his pile drivers. "Rumble: wishes to be buried in an ocean of salt-water?" The cassette master looked at his two winged creations. 'Starscream: fueling flyers adequately?"

"Yep." Laserbeak nodded. "We finally get the good stuff."

Soundwave frowned behind his mask. "Gestalts, non-flyers, lacking necessary mineral components in energon sources."

Buzzsaw twisted his neck, concerned. "You getting enough fuel? Enough mineral supplements?"

"Sufficient. Not ideal long-term situation."

Unseen by the remainder of the cassette cohort, Ravage slinked away.

~ Area break ~ Scene Switch ~ Time Lapse ~

Blaster did not normally feel the need to walk quietly inside the Ark. However, ever since Megatron had taken up residence, Blaster had carefully modulated the volume of his music.

Not being able to broadcast his favorite stations at audio splitting levels, the Boombox had been seriously contemplating volunteering to join Cosmos on his next excursion to Pluto.

Blaster grabbed his energon ration, turned to leave the rec-room – anything to avoide being in Megatron's presence for longer than necessary – when his keen sensors heard a distinctive strut-deep rumble of appreciation and delight.

"Steeljaw?"

"Right behind you, Boss."

The communications mech looked. Yep. His feline cassette was right behind him. And not the source of the purrs.

He looked at Megatron, finally noticing the small, black addition.

"I didn't know Ravage could purr."

Ravage ignored the thoughtless comment, arching into the massive hand stroking his back.

Megatron chuckled, continue petting Soundwave's ferocious four-legged cassette. "Not many do.

~ Area break ~ Scene Switch ~ Time Lapse ~

"Soundwave!" Hook practically collapsed in relief when the lavender communication's mech made down to the medbay. "Can you please, please, please, order Starscream to –"

"Negative." Soundwave interrupted before the demanding request was finished. "Starscream, leader of Decepticons while Megatron is away."

Hook straightened up. "Wait – Starscream didn't decide to name himself _Supreme Commander_ because of Megatron's absence?"  
"Correct. Longer-than-normal excursion planned for."

"This is a test?" The line-green Constructicon began seething in rage. "Why did Megatron allow the mutinous seeker to take over? It is an injustice to us all."

"Lord protectorate has reasons."

"Reasons he didn't share with you, I'll bet," Hook muttered sourly. "Might as well make sure all your systems are operating properly.

"Diagnosis only," Soundwave placed himself on the berth, under Hook's meticulous servos.

~ Area break ~ Scene Switch ~ Time Lapse ~

"Come on!" Megatron cried from the sidelines. "Grimlock challenges your authority, and after defeating him in a test of strength, you still call him an Autobot, but after I challenge your right to lead, you call me an enemy of all Autobots?"

Optimus gazed at his Decepticon counterpart. "Would you have accepted my leadership, obeyed my orders, passed down commands without changing the words, if I had kept you in my chain-of-command?"

"Probably not." Megatron admitted. "In fact, I would not have – you refused to see where the Senate was wrong, and could not simply abandon their decisions when they stopped doing what is right. Following mechs who care not for their underlings I refuse to do"

"If you remember correctly, I also broke away from the Senate." Optimus reminded Megatron. "Morally, I could not support the corrupt system. But outright rebellion against those above me?" He shook his head.

"Still think I'm an enemy of Autobots everywhere?"

"Harm the humans no more, help me rebuild Cybertron, and I will forgive your transgressions against me."

Megatron tossed his head back and laughed. "What do you think my energon shipments to Shockwave were? To fuel my deactivated army?"

~ Area break ~ Scene Switch ~ Time Lapse ~

"We need to overthrow Starscream," Demolisher addressed the unhappy troops.

"Or find Megatron and restore him to his rightful place." Advised Reflector.

Astrotrain walked in. "I'm no happier than you about Stasrcream's ascension to power."

"But you're a filer!" Onslaught accused – rightfully so.

"So?" Astrotrain asked. "I have a ground-bound Alt Mode – which negates any advantages my jet-form might otherwise entitle me to."

"Anybody else feel like this meeting is being monitored by Soundwave?" Long Haul glanced around at the cameras.

"Who cares –it's not like we're mutinying against Megatron himself."

"No, but we are going behind the back of his chosen successor."

Silence.

The assembled Decepticons rushed for the door.


End file.
